Thill-coupling



No. 6|3,5a4. Patented Nov. l, |893. n. G. MATTHEWS.

THILL CUUPLING.

(Application med sept, e, 189s.)

"lmllll' 'I l H illl y!) UNITED STATES ATENT EEicE.

ROBERT G. MATTHEVS, OFy BARNESVILLE, GEORGIA.

THILL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,584, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed September 6. 1898. Serial No. 690,321. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT GRIER MAT- THEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Barnesville, in the county of Pike and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings,of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a new and improved thill-coupling which is economical in construction, comprises few parts, is strong, substantial, and durable, can be connected with an 'axle by any ordinary clip having a clip tie-plate, holds the thill eyes or irons close to the axle, is conveniently, easily, and quickly operated to attach and detachthe thills, normally stands open for the ready engagement therewith of the thill eyes or irons, the forward and backward force or pressure on the thills is resisted by fixed or immovable parts, is practically noiseless, the thills cannot be accidentally detached due to the jolting or motion imparted thereto by the draft-animal, the thill eyes or irons do not require to be clamped tight to avoid rattling, and the draft strain and back pressure is on the clip tie-plate and not direct on the comparatively weak side arms of the clips.

The obj ect of my invention is accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved thill-coupling applied to the axle of a vehicle, the axle being in section and the thill eye or iron locked in engagement with the clip. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view showing the locking-dog rocked forward at its lower end to place it against the inclined front wall of the longitudinal slot in the clip tieplate preparatory to raising the dog and throwing it backward at its upper end for the detachment of the thill. Fig. 3 is a similar view showin g the dog raised and swung back at its upper end to permit the ready detachment of the thill-iron from the clip tie-plate, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the oscillatory and rising-and-falling locking-dog.

In order to enable those skilled inthe art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein the numeral 1 indicates the axle of a vehicle, and 2 a clip passing around the axle and having the extremities of its arms screw-threaded and passed through orices in the clip tie-plate 3, the parts being secured together and clamped upon the axle by screw-nuts 4L, applied tothe screw-threaded extremities of the clip-arms. The clip tieplate is formed at its front end into a hook 5, and on its upper side, at a slight distance from the hook, it is formed or provided with an upwardly-projecting fixed or immovable abutment 6, centrally slotted or recessed, as at 7. The tie-plate is also formed in front of the fixed or immovable abutment with alongitudinal' slot S, having its front end or Wall inclined downward and forward, as at 9. This slot is coincident with the slot or recess formed centrally in the abutment, and it receives the shank 10 of the oscillatory and rising-and-falling dog having a laterally-expanded head 12, which has substantially parallel front and rear surfaces, so that when the dog is in locking position, as in Fig. 1, the front surface of the dog-head bears against the extremity of the clip-hook 5, while the rear surface bears squarely against the fixed or immovable abutment 6, thereby coniining or locking the thill eye or iron 13 in engagement with thehook of the clip tie-plate. The construction of the parts referred to is such that the forward pressure or pull of the thills is upon the hook of the tie-plate and back force or pressure on the thills against the head of the dog isiirmly and strongly resisted' by the lixed or immovable abutment 6. The dog is susceptible of oscillating and of rising and' falling, and between its laterallyvexpanded headv 12 and the lower end of the shank the latter is curved or cutaway, as at 14, so that when thev dog is raised and thrown back at its upper end, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the curved or cut-away part of the shank permits the ready detachment or attachment of the thill eye or iron.

The lower side of the clip tie-plate 3 is provided with pendent lugs 15, between which is pivoted, as at 16, a lever 17, which is eccentrically connected, as at 1S, to the rear end portion of a yoke-shaped spring comprising side arms 19 and 20, connecting front portion 21, and elastic coils 22. The lever 17is provided with a finger-piece 23, Inade in the IOO present example in the form of a loop, but

which may be of any construction suitable to be grasped by the lin gers for swinging thelever on its pivotal connection with the lugs 15. lVhen the lever 17 and its finger-piece hang down from the lugs, the connection of the spring yoke-arms with the lever is placed below the pivot of the lever and the yoke-shaped spring can be engaged with the lower end of the dog-shank 10, after which by swinging the lever rearward and upward the connection of the spring yoke-arms with the lever is raised in rear of and above the pivot of the lever, and the sprin g and the connecting front portion 2l of the yoke-shaped spring is forced rearward against the dog-shank to effectually prevent the latter from moving forward. lf the pivoted lever be thrown downward to hang suspended, as above stated, the yoke-shaped spring can be disengaged from the lower end of the dog-shank and then the latter can,with the fingers, be moved forward until its front edge bears against the downward and forward inclined front end or wall of the longitudinal slot S, as shown in Fig. 2. If now upward pressure be exerted on the dog, the lower end of its shank will ride against the inclined front end or wall of the longitudinal slot and the upper end of the dog will be thrown rearward, so that its head passes partially over the upper end of the fixed or immovable abutment and a part of the dog-shank will enter the slot or recess 7 in said abutment, thereby placing the dog in such position that the thill eye or iron can be conveniently and quickly engaged with or disengaged from the hook of the tie-plate.

The inner surface of the hook 5 is covered with iiexible or soft packing material 24, preferably composed of leather, and the front face of the dog-head l2 is provided with a vertical dovetailed groove 25, with which is engaged a exible or soft packing 26, also preferably of leather, which covers the entire front face of the head. The leather packings are so constructed and applied as to make the thillcoupling practicallynoiseless.

Vhile I prefer to employ the yoke-shaped spring and the lever for preventing the lower end of the shank from being moved forward while the thilLcoupling is in use, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to this particular means for preventing the forward motion of the lower end of the dog.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A thill-coupling, consisting of a clip, a clip tie-plate formed with ahook upon its front end, a slotted or recessed fixed abutment rising from its upper side, a longitudinal slot located in front of said abutment and provided with adownward and forward inclined front end or wall, and an oscillatory and vertically-movableheaded dog having its shank arranged in the slot of the tie-plate with its head normally resting at its rear side against the said fixed abutment and its lower front edge constructed to bear against the downward and forward inclined end wall of said longitudinal slot when the lower end of the dog is moved forward, the construction bein g such that upward pressure on the dog causes its lower end to ride against lthe inclined front end or wall of the slot, throws the upper headed end rearward and causes the shank to enter the slot or recess in the abutment, substantially as described.

2. A thill-coupling, consisting of a clip, a clip tie-plate formed with a hook on its front end, a iixed abutment rising from its upper side, a longitudinal slot located in front of said abutment and constructed with a downward and forward inclined front end or wall, andan oscillatory and vertically-movable headed dog having its shank arranged in the slot of the tie-plate with its head normally resting at its rear side against the said xed abutment and its lower front edge constructed to bear against the downward and forward inclined front end or wall of the slot in the tie-plate when the lower end of the dog is moved forward, the construction being such that upward pressure on the dog causes its lower end to ride upward against the inclined front end wall of said slot and throws the headed end of the dog rearward for the attachment or detachment of the thill eye or iron, substantially as described.

3. A thill-coupling, consisting of a clip, a clip tie-plate formed with a hook on its front end, a fixed abutment rising from its upper side, a longitudinal slot located in front of said abutment and constructed with a downward and forward inclined front end or wall, an oscillatory and vertically-movable headed dog having its shank arranged in the slot of the tie-plate with its head normally resting at its rear side against the said fixed abutment and its lower front edge constructed to bear against the downward and forward inclined front end or wall of the slot in the tie-plate when the lower end of the dog is moved forward, the construction being such that upward pressure on the dog causes its lower end to ride upward against the inclined front end wall of said slot and throws the headed end of the dog rearward for the attachment or de tachment of the thill eye or iron, and means for holding the lower end of the dog-shank from moving forward when the coupling is in use, substantially as described.

4. A thill-coupling, consisting of a clip, a clip tie-plate formed with a hook upon its front end, a slotted or recessed fixed abut= ment rising from its upper side, a longitudinal slot located in front of said abutment and provided with a' downward and forward in clined front end or wall, an oscillatory and vertieallymovable headed dog having its shank arranged in the slot of the tie-plate with its head normally resting at its rear side against the said fixed abutment and its lower front edge constructed to bear against the downward and forward inclined end wall of said longitudinal slot when the lower end of IOO IIO

the shank to enter the slot or recess in the abutment, and means for holding the lower end of the dog-shank from moving forward when the coupling is in use, substantially as described.

5. A thill-coupling, consisting of a clip, a clip tie-plate formed with a hook on its front end, a fixed abutment rising from its upper side, a longitudinal slot located in front of said abutment and constructed with a downward and forward inclined front end or wall, an oscillatory and vertically-movable headed dog having its shank arranged in the slot of the tie-plate lwith its head normally resting at its rear side against the said IiXed abutment and its lower front edge constructed to bear against the downward and forward inelined front end or wall of the slot in the tieplate when the lower end of the dog is moved forward, the construction being such that upward pressure on the dog causes its lower end to ride upward against the inclined front end wall of said slot and throws the headed end of the dog rearward for the attachment or detachment of the thill eye or iron, a 1ever pivoted to the under side of the tie-plate and having a lnger-piece, and a yoke-shaped spring eccentrically connected with said le* ver and constructed to be engaged with the lower end of the dog-shank to hold the latter from forward'motion when the coupling is in use, substantially as described.

6. A thill-coupling, consisting of a clip, a clip tie-plate formed with a hook covered with packing on its inner surface, a xed abutment rising from its upper side, a longitudinal slot located in front of said abutment and having a forward and downward inclined front end or wall, and an oscillatory and Vertically-movable dog having a head covered on its front side with packing and a shank arranged in the slot of the tie-plate, said doghead normally resting at its rear against the y fixed abutment and the shank having its front edge constructed to bear against the downward and forward inclined front end or wall of the longitudinal slot when the lower end of the dog is moved forward, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

R. G. MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. NORRIS, F. B. KEEFER. 

